Senegal’s political tensions have moved into a new and potentially disruptive phase after President Bassirou Diomaye Faye unveiled a new cabinet that excluded several prominent allies of Ousmane Sonko, deepening a rift at the heart of the country’s ruling movement at a time of mounting economic pressure.
The cabinet announcement came days after Faye dismissed Sonko as prime minister and dissolved the previous government, marking the most significant rupture yet between the two leaders who swept to power together under the banner of the Pastef movement and promised sweeping political and economic reforms.
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Ahead of the reshuffle, Sonko publicly declared that Pastef would not participate in the incoming administration, arguing that unresolved differences with the president had made continued cooperation impossible.
“Discussions with the president have revealed significant differences regarding political strategy and governance,” Sonko said in a public statement, adding that the party leadership had decided to withdraw from the new government.
